Lever mounted double pawl alternately gripping ring and sun gear



Feb. 20, 1951 w. D. ELLISON LEVER MOUNTED DOUBLE PAWL ALTERNATELYGRIPPING RING AND SUN GEAR Filed Sept.

Fig.

C MIMI.

' I Ulml' 40 Fig.4

Patented Feb. 20, 1951 LEVER MOUNTED DOUBLE PAWL ALTER- NATELY GRIPPI-NGRING AND SUN GEAR Wallace D. Ellison, West Los Angeles, Calif.

Application September 6, 1949, Serial No. 114,086

5 Claims.

This invention comprises novel and useful improvements in a doubleratchet and more specifically pertains to a ratchet handle 'for toolssuch as socket wrenches, brace and bits and the like.

The primary object of this invention is to provide an improved ratchethandle for tools which is capable of imparting a continuous step by steprotation to a tool upon oscillation of the handle of the device and atan equal or amplified speed of rotation of the tool holder relative tothe speed of oscillation of the handle.

A further object of the invention is to provide a ratchet handle inconformity with the foregoing object in which the handle may beselectively locked to the tool carrying element for employment as arigid wrench assembly.

A still further object of the invention is to provide an improvedreversible ratchet mechanism for selectively operating the tool carryingelement of the device in either direction of rotation upon oscillationof the handle of the device.

Yet another important object of the invention is to provide a ratchetmechanism which shall be of simple and inexpensixe construction, shallhave an improved ratchet adjusting and ratchet operating mechanism, andwhich shall'be readily assembled or disassembled as desired.

These, together with various ancillary features and objects of theinvention which will later become apparent as the following descriptionproceeds, are attained by the present device, a preferred embodiment ofwhich has been illustrated by way of example only in. the accompanyingdrawings, wherein:

Figure l is a top plan view of one embodiment of the invention; a

Figure 2 is a horizontal sectional view of the embodiment of Figure 1taken substantially upon the plane of the broken section line 2-2 ofFigure 3;

Figure 3 is a vertical longitudinal sectional view through theembodiment of Figure 1, taken substantially on the plane of the brokensection line 3-3 of Figure l;

Figure 4 is an enlarged detail view in vertical section through aportion of the device showing certain details of the ratchet mechanismof the same; and

Figure 5 is a fragmentary view in bottom plan showing the ratchetmechanism in one of its operative positions, being taken substantiallyupon the broken section line 5--5 of Figure 4.

Referring now more specifically to the accompanying drawings, whereinlike numerals designate similar parts throughout the various views, itwill be seen that the ratchet handle formin the subject of thisinvention comprises a pair l 38 having a detent portion 45 thereon.

tened and laterally enlarged and are provided with complementarycup-shaped portions l4 and 16 respectively which are adapted to registerwith each other and form between the same an annular chamber containingthe operating parts of the ratchet assembly.

A hub l8 having a longitudinal bore 20 extending therethrough tocomprise a socket for detachably receiving the shank of a tool of anydesired character, extends through suitable apertures in the top andbottom walls of the cup members I4 and I5, and is provided with annulargrooves 22 and 24 upon the opposite extremities of the hub portion forreceiving detachable split rings 25, which thus abut the exteriorsurfaces of the walls of the cup members [4 and It.

It will thus be seen that the cup members serve to journal the hub orsocket member there between, while the latter serves to retain the cupmembers in registration with each other and constitutes a pivot aboutwhich the two handles l0 and [2 may be oscillated.

Obviously, it is merely necessary to remove 'one or both of the splitrings 26 in order to readily disassemble the device to inspect theinterior of the ratchet casing as desired.

At its central portion, the hub member I8 is diametrically enlarged toform a sun gear 28. and this gear may be integrally formed upon the hubor may be separately formed and rigidly and mechanically attachedthereto in any desired manner.

Loosely and rotatably received in the interior annular walls of the cupmembers l4 and i6, is a ring or orbit gear 3i} which as shown in Figure3 substantially covers the entire cylindrical inner surface of theregistering cup members which thus constitute journals for the orbitgear. Freely rotatable upon an axle 32 which is received within thechamber of the cup members and carried by the member I4 is a planet gear34 which meshes with both the orbit gear and the sun gear fortransmitting relative movement therebetween.

As will now be better seen from Figure 4, the other cup member It hasjournalled therein a ratchet pivot pin 35 which has rigidly secured toits exterior portion an actuating lever This pin 36 extends throughoutsubstantially the entire height of the ratchet chamber within the matingcups, and by oscillation of the lever 38 from the full to dotted lineposition shown in Figure 1 may be given an oscillatory motion in orderto adjust the ratchet mechanism.

A knob or projection it, see Figure 1, extends above the surface of thecup It for engagement by the detent id, and it is contemplated that ofhandles 0 and I2 which at one end are flatan there should be sufficient.resiliency in the detent 40 or in the lever 38 to permit the same toyield and be forced past the projection 42, which thus serves as ayieldable stop for maintaining the lever and the ratchet in adjustedposition.

The ratchet mechanism further includes a pair of wings 44 and 46 whichat their outer end terdevice can also be used in the same manner as aratchet brace and bit or the like.

From the foregoing, the construction and operation'of the device will bereadily understood and further explanation is believed to beunnecessary. However, since numerous modificaminate in oppositelyextending jaws 48 and 50 for the wing member 46 and 52 and 53 for thewing member 44. These jaws are of such shape that they may bealternately engaged with the teeth of the orbit and sun gears as will beapparent from the position shown in Figures 2 and 5.

At their adjacent ends, the jaws are pivotally connected to the ratchetpivot pin 36, as by means of a tongue portion 56 extending centrallyfrom the end of the jaw 44 for journalling upon the pin 38, and bybifurcated portions 58 which likewise are pivoted to the pin 36 andembrace the extension 55. The jaws are thus free to individually pivotabout the pivot pin within the space between the orbit and sun gears.

Upon their bottom surfaces, that is the surfaces adjacent the cup M, thepivot ends of the jaws it and 45 are provided with recesses 69 formingseats for receiving the extremities of a flexible leaf spring 62 whichextends through a diametrical slot extending inwardly from the end ofthe pivot pin 36. A cotter pin 64 disposed through alined bores in thespring and pivot pin serves to detachably secure the spring upon the pinand the latter within the cup members l4 and it. This leaf spring thusserves to force the wing members against the orbit gear 39 and the sungear 28 depending upon which way the lever 39 is turned.

From the foregoing, the construction of the device will now beunderstood and the operation of the same is as follows. Upon oscillationof the handles 52 with respect to Hi, the hub or socket member 29 willbe rotated step by step in the same direction, this direction dependingupon the setting of the ratchet member. Considering that one of thehandles it is held stationary, oscillatory movement of the other handle12 in one direction will cause rotation of the planet gear upon theorbit gear and thereby will cause rotation. of the sun gear in itsjournal in the two cup members but with the movement of handle H in theopposite direction, planet and orbit gears idle while the handle locksdirectly to the sun gear. This imparts amplified rate of movement to thesun gear by virtue of the difference in diameters of the sun and orbitgears. In one direction of movement of the handle 12 with respect to thehandle iii, the ratchet memher will slip over the sun gear whilebeinglocked to the orbit gear which will turn the planet gear, which inturn will rotate the sun gear in the direction stated above, and uponthe reverse movement of the handle 12 with respect to hancile It thesame will lock the jaw 46 and sun gears together thereby positivelyrotating the sun gear. Upon reversal of the position of the ratchet bymoving the lever 38 to the other side of the projection 42, the jawswill reverse their engagement with the gears thus effecting rotation ofthe sun gear in the same manner but in a reverse direction. However,when the two handle members 59 and 12 are held together the entiredeviceoperates as a conventional ratchet wrench and may be employed assuch.

Obviously, the device could be used to operate socket wrenches, bydetachably securing the shanks of the same within the bore 29; but thetions and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art after aconsideration of the foregoing specification and accompanying drawings,it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction shownand described, but all suitable modifications and equivalents may beresorted to, falling within the scope of the appended claims.

Having described as new is:

' 1.: A ratchet handle for tools comprising a pair of handlesterminating in complementary mating cups forming an annular chamber, anorbit gear free to rotate in both cups, a sun gear having a hubextending through and journaled in each cup, said hub having a socketfor receiving a tool shank, an axle carried by one cup, a planet gearjournaled on said axle and meshing with said orbit and sun gears, aratchet operatively connected with said sun and orbit gears for lookinga handle to one of said sun and orbit gears, said ratchet having a pivotpin carried by the other cup and extending through the same.

2. A ratchet handle for tools comprising a pair of handles terminatingin complementary mating cups forming an annular chamber, an'orbitgearfree to rotate in both cups, a sun gear having a hub extending throughand journaled in each cup, said hub having a socket for receiving a toolshank, an axle carried by one cup, a planet gear journaled on 'said axleand meshing with said orbit and sun gears, a ratchet operativelyconnected with said sun and orbit gears for locking a handle to one ofsaid sun and orbit gears, said ratchet having a pivot pin carried by theother cup and extending through the same, said ratchet comprising a pairof oppositely extending wings, each wing terminating in oppositelyextending dogs alternately engageable with the sun and orbit gears.

13. The combination of claim 2 wherein said wings are pivoted to saidpi-n.

4. The combination of claim 2 including a resilient key-fixed to'saidpin, said key engaging seats in said wings for yielding biasing saiddogs into operative engagement with one of said gears upon rotation ofsaid pin.

5. The combination of claim 2 including an actuating lever on said pin,a projection on said other cup, said lever yielding engaging saidprojection for maintaining said ratchet in selected operating position.

' WALLACE D. ELLISON.

the invention, what is claimed 7 REFERENCES CITED The followingreferences are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 66,229 Fanning July 2, 1867268,284 Richardson Nov. 28, 1882 484,231 Nolan Oct. 11, 1892 506,931Nolan Oct. 17, 1893 1,544,168 Nolan June 30, 1925 1,698,730 OConnor Jan.15, 1929 1,799,393 Rylander Apr. 7, 1931 1,991,766.. Matveyeff 1....Feb. 19, 1935

